‘Have nothing to do with Hajin killings, Lashkar tells people

Hajin, June 1: Lashkar-e-Taiba militants have vehemently refuted the charges leveled against them by police that they are involved in a series of killings in Hajin area of North Kashmir’s Bandipora district that have created fear psychosis among people.

Locals from Khosa Mohalla of Hajin area told news agency CNS that two LeT militants including Muhammad Saleem Parrey who has joined militant ranks in 2017 emerged in the locality after Taraweeh prayers. “Saleem told people that he has nothing to do with the killings of civilians in the area. He denied his involvement in the killing of Hilal Ahmad Parray, and Mohammad Yaqoob Wagey. The body of Hilal was recovered by locals on May 16 from an orchard with his hands tied while on May 24 unidentified gunmen cut the throat of Muhammad Yakub Wagay in front of his wife and little son. These killings have evoked massive condemnation while people had staged protest demanding killers to be exposed.

“I am not involved in last two killings. I appeal you to expose those who resort to these killings. Nab those and handover them to us, if possible. Those who kill innocent people are not militants and are not among us. These killings are the handiwork of government agencies,” locals quoted Saleem Parrey as having said.

Locals said that militant militants spent a couple of hours with local population. As per locals, LeT militant Saleem fired couple of rounds in air before leaving the area.